Bay City Commission appoints Katie Doyle to 3rd Ward after ranked‑choice tie

The Bay City City Commission voted to appoint Katie Doyle to the 3rd Ward seat at a Nov. 24, 2025, special meeting, approving a resolution by roll call after a ranked‑choice tabulation and a tie‑breaking step.

The appointment followed interviews of eight candidates to fill the vacancy. Clerks used a ranked scoring method (1–8) to tabulate commissioners’ preferences; the initial point totals produced a tie between Doyle and Jeff O’Shea. Commissioners discussed procedures to break the tie and used either the preexisting rankings or a subsequent collection of preferences to determine Doyle as the commission’s selection. Mayor Gerard announced the selection before the commission moved to formalize it.

Public comment at the meeting included a string of endorsements for Kenzie Colton from local residents and community members. Disabled veteran Chris Hollovic said of Colton, “She’s one of the smartest people I’ve met,” and several other speakers urged the commission to appoint her based on community engagement and outreach. Commissioners acknowledged the public input during their deliberations but proceeded with the ranked‑choice process the commission adopted for this appointment.

Following the announcement, Commissioner Laura Cubitt moved the resolution appointing Katie Doyle as Third Ward City Commissioner, term ending Dec. 31, 2026; Commissioner Coakley seconded the motion. The clerk called the roll and recorded affirmative votes; the appointment was approved and recorded in the meeting minutes. The clerk’s roll‑call sequence recorded the following votes: Commissioner Coakley — yes; Commissioner Tenney — yes; Commissioner Zanotti — yes; Commissioner DeWitt — yes; Commissioner Rhunberg — yes; Commissioner Charlebois — yes; Commissioner Morris — yes; Commissioner Kubit — yes. The chair announced the motion carried and the commission adjourned.

The meeting record shows a short recess and a focused procedural discussion after the tie was announced; commissioners said they would review the ranked‑choice process for future appointments to avoid ambiguity. The commission did not adopt additional policy changes at the Nov. 24 meeting; the vote completed the appointment process for the 3rd Ward vacancy.

What’s next: Doyle will serve through Dec. 31, 2026 (term end date stated in the adopted resolution). The commission said it will review the ranked‑choice tabulation procedure for future appointments.